Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1887-02-12

Of marvellous antiquity. It's de
rived from a verb, but was almos
forgotten in the time Of Moses, ant
its originis absolutely lost in thu
mist of antiquity that makes the
pyramids seem inSnfferably mod
ern.
TOO SACRED TO BE SPOKEN.
1t was the essentially nationa
name given the Creator by. tho
.Jews-the name by which they
thought OF Him in tho privacy oil
their own homcs-in the presence
of their own altars-too sacred to
to be spoken. save once each year.
and by the lips Of the consecrated
priest Of the Most High. So hedg'
ed about was itwith reverence that
the. Rabbins did not even dare to
write about it, but alluded to it
mysteriously as "The Name" or
''The Name of -Four LETTERS" in
which the Samaritans likewise fol
low them. Yet, although it seems
so wholly jewish, some of the most
singular condolences are to be
foundin the usageof other ancient
|slEsaanglag eS: sIns ttile Cline sei Some
llatlfoasN gears before CHRIS There
are alluSionS9to a ssname of three
mystical letters, sIHV," denotlng
that which none can comprehend.
Among the Phenicians the name
has equal reverence; the Greek
writer's speak Of the "great name'
which they imperiectly give as
IEUO or LAO; and an inscription
in the adytum by the temple Of Isis
at the Egyptian .Sais recalls the
same dread tetragrammation. 1t
would seem almost AS though this
we're thee title by which primeval
man. was divincly taught to wor-
ship hi Creator.
AS has been said, the uamo so
far as can be learned. has never
been pronounced since Titus de-
stroyed the temple at Jerusalem in
a. d. 10. Whether before that
time it was ever in any wsy.fully
committed to writing is qnitesun-
known. Some Of the Rabbins who
are unable to deny that the record
ed miracles of Christ were actually
wrought, declare that he accom-
pushed them by accidentally gain
ing possession Of a parchment in
which "The Name," was fully writ
ten, and which thus conferred up.
onitsS owner extraordinary and su-
pernatural powers.
THE3SECRET WHOLLY LOST.
Whether previously written or
not, it must have been so recorded
after Jerusalem fell, for we learn Of
individuals who preserved the true
pronunciation for many centuries.
Josephus in his "Antiquities,"
speaks of the name. but says that
it would be unlawful for him to eX-
plain it. The Jewish Mishnaspeaks
of Il Jew named Kamzar who was
aware OF the sound of the LETTERS
In fact, as late as the year 1850 the
oriental Leusden met aJew at Am
sterdam who protested to be able
to Il. ter them correctly. His.fam.
lily, he said, had preserved the ira
dition By means Of writing
Leusden offered the man a large
sum of money if he would utter the
word just once, and his offer was
accepted; but shortly after, and be.
fore the payment had been made,
so great a terror seized upon him
as to seal his lips, nor could he be
persuaded either by brides or en-.
! treaties to perform his promise.
The secret, therefore, must be re-
garded as wholly lost; nor per.
haps, would Il spirit Of reverence
desire it to be discovered, though
even the most orthodox Christians
regard the Jewish feeling about
the name as nothing better than a
superstition. Whatever one may
think, the mystery that surrounds
the whole subject appeals very
strongly to the imagination, as is
seen in the melancholy end of a
we'll known American scholar, who
devoted Il whole life. to an investi
cation Of the name, and upon whose
mind the question wrought sc
strongly as to produce insanity.
1t may be OF interest to give the
various pronunciations that differ
ent scholars have considered the
mostprobable. Cappel would have
it Yahyoh: Furst Yeheveh; Mercer
Yehveh, and Wright, Yahaveh
but perhaps the majority of Orlen
talists incline to Yahveh. In read
ing the Hebrew scriptures thu
Jews themselves never pronounce
the word at all, but substitute thu
ordinary Adonai, or ''Lord."-
| IAr,o To,,ttlnl